Given his inconsistent bowling, Mohammed Siraj cannot be India’s third pacer in the T20 World Cup: Kris Srikkanth

Jesus Siraj played in that [South Africa] series. He had a decent economy rate and took one or two wickets in two games. In the match against South Africa, Arshdeep’s wicket totals weren’t too high, but they will improve in the Indian Premier League. So far [in the IPL 2024], Siraj’s performance hasn’t been all that great. I would therefore prioritize experience if I were a member of the selection panel. Take Arshdeep and Siraj with Bumrah, I’ll say, Pathan said.

In anticipation of the T20 World Cup, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has shared his thoughts on the spin combination for his country. According to Pathan, having at least five quality bowlers is essential, and he would prefer to have two wrist-spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi.

“Five strong bowlers are needed. That’s essential. How are you going to take a wicket? Bishnoi and Kuldeep, two wrist-spinners, would be in my playing eleven. Bishnoi appears to be a decent player based on his numbers. Yes, because of his IPL exploits, we’re currently discussing Yuzvendra Chahal, but don’t overlook the fielding, Pathan stated on Star Sports Press Room.

“Therefore, if I can get four overs from Shivam Dube and Hardik [Pandya], with Yashasvi Jaiswal as an additional bowler, I will have two wrist spinners if my squad consists of eight, nine, ten, eleven, and two spinners and two fast bowlers. Regarding the Indian team’s potential, it is possible that they may start Ravindra Jadeja at number seven. Furthermore, I concur with Tom [Moody] that it’s a little too high for him on that front.

Thus, although this is a difficult choice, you must make some difficult decisions this time.” Regarding the three pacers in the World Cup squad, Pathan also expressed his opinion. Even while he stated that Jasprit Bumrah was the obvious choice, he added that, given his current form, no one else enters the team quite like Bumrah.

“Bumrah, I believe you can only [choose] one player at a time. However, you must have at least two fast bowlers who can be in the starting eleven in addition to Bumrah. Regarding his performance, I fail to see how you can declare him the winner at this point. You will need to rely on some prior experience. And with that hope, who did they play for the last time they played India?

Also read: Wasim Jaffer selects his team for the 2024 T20 World Cup

“Alone, with whom are you? Ahmed Khaleel. A player like Mohsin Khan is one of yours who offers something unique. There should always be an X-factor when you disagree somewhat in your counts. Furthermore, Mayank [Yadav] is a well-known person. You need to remember one thing about Mayank, though: he hasn’t played much cricket, despite his pace. He wasn’t a player for the Lucknow Super Giants the previous season. He suffered injuries. So, are you willing to take a man who is quick but has a history of injuries? For this reason, I refuse to adopt Mohsin Khan’s name.

Mohsin Khan is a quality player who will make the pitch more competitive if you choose to take him. He is tall and skilled at slamming the deck. His cadence is approximately 140. The combination of fast bowling is therefore the Indian team’s major weakness, if you look at this. Correcting that mixture is crucial. So, move in the direction of experience. Siraj and Arshdeep are visible there with Bumrah. It is the only choice you now have, even though I don’t think it is optimal.

The decision was not accepted by Pathan’s fellow panelist, K Srikkanth, who said that Avesh Khan—rather than Siraj—should be the third pacer after Bumrah and Arshdeep.

“There’s Bumrah on the team. And Arshdeep. Siraj, however, cannot be the third pacer. In ten games, he won’t bowl well after bowling well in one. You witnessed it during the World Cup—he is an inconsistent bowler. For this reason, I think it would be wise to consider who is bowling well in the final overs. Avesh Khan is that. In addition to performing effectively, he has some experience and has achieved success internationally. He is also an expert at wide yorkers. Avesh Khan will therefore be my third pacer. Why then, Siraj? He can bowl early on, but not towards the finish. I’m not going to take Siraj.”

That being said, Tom Moody agreed with Pathan and felt that Mohammed Siraj needed support going into the World Cup. “I brought up Muhammad Siraj’s point around two weeks ago. He appears worn out, both physically and mentally. He’s probably played a lot of all-format cricket for India for a considerable amount of time going into this IPL. That, in my opinion, contributes in part to his ball-handling difficulties.

“Secondly, he competes in the Indian Premier League at what is arguably the hardest ground for bowlers, spin or rapid. That must therefore be taken into account. His poor side performance is the third issue. This year, RCB has played poorly, and it’s difficult to improve when things are going badly around you. That’s what we’re witnessing in terms of performance when we combine all those levels.

“I firmly believe that he will perform well in the World Cup, just because of his exceptional past performances for India, including his performance in the IPL last year and his amazing T20 cricket ability. I want to take early wickets in the power play, so he’s taking the new ball with Bumrah for me.”